Cigar-tuck cutter.



G. W. BOWMAN.

CIGAR TUGK- CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY31, 1913.

1,083,052. Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

' WITNESSES INVENTOR I v a/ye Wfiaimzaiz 1 I BY 7% i;

A TTOHNEYS COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

GEORGE WASHINGTON BOWMAN, 0F YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

CIGAR-STUCK CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Application filed July 31, 1913. Serial No. 782,246.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE lVAsHINoToN BOWMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of York, in the county of York and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Cigar-Tuck Cutter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to cutters or iron mers. adapted to be used by makers of cigars for trimming the ends or tucks thereof.

The general object of the invention 1s to improve and simplify the construction of cigar cutters of the character referred to so as to be reliable and efficient in use, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, and so designed as to insure a uniform size of cigar.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cutter of novel construction wherein the cigars are held in such a manner that all the cigars will be trimmed to the same length. In cigar cutters as heretofore constructed means are usually provided for gaging the length of the cigar, but as a matter of fact the cigar makers in their haste do not always use the gage of the cutter, and consequently the cigars are of different lengths, resulting in considerable loss, as well as the production of a second grade cigar. 7

It is the object of the present invention to overcome these objections by so arranging the cigarsholding portion of the cutter that the cigar is almost in an upright position, with the head thereof resting on the gage, so that the gage becomes a rest or support for the cigar, and on the cutting blade or knife is mounted a guard which is brought over the cigar during the trimming of the butt or tuck thereof, so that it is impossible for the user to maintain his fingers on the cigar while the cutting takes place. If the user should attempt to hold the cigar the guard will cause him to release it, and in releasing the cigar will drop on the combined rest and gage, and consequently insure the trimming of the cigar to the proper length.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates one embodiment of the invention and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the views.

Figure l is a perspective view of the cigar cutter with an untrimmed cigar positioned therein and ready to be trimmed; Fig. 2 is a view of the knife end of the cutting device; Fig. 3 is a side view of the apparatus; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the position of the guard with respect to the cigar as the blade finishes the trimming.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates the base of the apparatus which is fastened by screws 2 or equivalent means to a work table 3, and rising from the base is an inclined pedestal or body 4 which is disposed at an oblique angle to a perpendicular line. The front side of this body or pedestal 4 is provided with a longitudinal groove or cigar seat 5, the same being provided with a longitudinal slot 6. Slidable in the groove or seat 5 is a combined gage and cigar rest 7 that has a threaded shank 8 or equivalent means which passes through the slot 6 and is provided with a wing nut 9 or equivalent clamping device. By tightening this nut the combined gage and rest 7 is held in any desired position of adjustment fixedly on the pedestal 4. By loosening the nut- 9 the rest and gage 7 can be moved upwardly or downwardly, according to the desired length of the cigars to be trimmed. Owing to the approximate upright position of the cigar holding portion of the apparatus and to the above described means for adjusting the gage and rest, should the nut loosen sufiiciently for the gage and rest to move to any appreciable extent, the gage and rest would drop to the bottom of the slot of the body and consequently would have to be readjusted. By this means the gage and rest can never move from its adjusted position without being observed by the user, thus insuring the gage and rest always being in proper adjustment so that all of the cigars will be of the same length. Owing also to the upright position of the body of the apparatus the cigar must, by its own weight, bear on therest and gage 7, thus insuring the trimming of the cigars all to the same length.

Gn the top of the body or pedestal 4 is a fixed knife 10 which has a curved cutting edge 11. Cotlperating with the fixed blade or knife 10 is a swinging knife 12 which has a cutting edge 13 curved oppositely from the cutting edge 11 of the other knife. This blade 12 is pivotally connected with the blade 10 by a pivot 14, and on the free extremity of the blade 12 is a handle or grip 15 which is grasped by the cigar maker and moved in such a direction as to bring the cutting edge 13 into contact with the cigar. The movable blade 12 is retracted by a spring or equivalent means 16 fastened to the body 4: and having an arm 17 that is con nected by a link 18 with the blade 12 at the point 19. blade 12 is limited by a suitably arranged stop 20, Fig. 2. As some cigars are more blunt than others the cutter 10 is adjustable so as to bring the cutting edge 11 into proper relation with the tuck or butt end of the cigar to be trimmed. For this purpose the blade 10 has parallel slots 21, and extending into these slots are screws 22 which screw into the upper end of the body 4 to clamp the blade 10 in any desired position of adjustment.

In order to prevent the operator from holding the cigar A in the seat 5 without the head a bearing on the combined gage and rest 7, a guard 23 is mounted on the movable blade 12 in such a manner that it passes over the cigar during the cutting movement of the blade 12. The guard therefore will come into contact with the fingers that hold the cigar, and before the cutting can be performed the fingers must be released from the cigar to allow the guard 23 to move its lfull stroke. Consequently, when the cigar is released, it will drop upon the combined gage and seat 7 so that the butt or tuck a of the cigar will be inits proper relation to the cutting knives. WVhen the cutting takes place the guard will assume a position directly over the cigar, as shown in Fig. 4. When the movable blade 12 is in open posi tion the guard is disposed to one side of the oigar-receiving seat 5 so as not to interfere with the proper placing of the cigar.

In using the device the cigar maker has merely to place the cigar in the seat 5 and allow the head of the cigar to rest on the gage 7. The handle 15 is then grasped and the blade 12 moved in a direction to out off the butt or tuck. The handle 15 is then released so that the spring will throw the movable cutter 12 to open position ready for the next cigar.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together The opening movement of the with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative,- and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Let-.

ters Patent:

1. A cigar cutting device of the character described, comprising a substantially vertical body having means whereby it may be secured to a support, said body forming a cradle to receive a cigar, an adjustable seat and gage on the body and arranged to be engaged by the head of the cigar, the position of the body being such that the cigar rests with substantially its entire weight on said seat and gage, and cutting means on the body for trimming the tuck end of the cigar.

. 2. A cigar cutting device of the character described, comprisinga substantially vertical body having means for securing it to a support, said body forming a cradle to receive a cigar, an adjustable seat and gage on which the head of the cigar rests, a pivoted knife at the upper end of the body for trimming the tuck end of the cigar, and a holder and guard of a length approximately equal to the length of the cigar and carried over said cigar when the knife is operated.

3. A. cigar cutting device of the character described, comprising a substantially vertical body having a base for securing it to a support, said body forming a cradle for receiving a cigar, an adjustable seat and rest on which the head of the cigar rests, and a holder and guard secured to the knif and of a length approximately equal to the length of the cigar.

4. A cigar cutting machine of the character described, comprising a substantially ver tical body having a base for securing it to a support and provided with a longitudinal seat having its bottom slotted, a cutter at the upper end of the body gage and rest upon which the head of the cigar rests, said gage and rest being provided with a threaded shank "extending through the said slot and provided with a nut thereon, whereby should the nut become loose the gage or rest would drop to the bottom of said slot.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE WASHINGTON BOWMAN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. EI-IREHART, C. F. Ennnnan'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. D. G.

and a combined 

